While the Islamic State terror group reportedly claimed responsibility for a mass shooting in Las Vegas that killed more than 50 people, a local expert says it’s too soon to tell what the motive of the attack was.

ISIS claims “responsibility for every train derailment too,” said Brian Levin, director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University San Bernardino. “ISIS will sometimes make claims if they have nothing to do with it.”

At least 58 people are dead following the shooting at a country music festival near the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. More than 500 were injured at the end of the three-day Route 91 Harvest Festival in front of a crowd of 22,000 when the gunman opened fire from inside the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino.

Stephen Craig Paddock, 64, who was found dead, has been identified as the suspected gunman. The FBI has said they do not believe there was any connection to an international terrorist group.

Drapes billow out of a broken window at the Mandalay Bay resort and casino Monday, Oct. 2, 2017, on the Las Vegas Strip following a deadly shooting at a music festival in Las Vegas. A gunman was found dead inside a hotel room. (AP Photo/Ronda Churchill)

People scramble for shelter at the Route 91 Harvest country music festival after apparent gun fire was heard on October 1, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. A gunman has opened fire on a music festival in Las Vegas, leaving at least 58 people dead and more than 500 injured. Police have confirmed that one suspect has been shot. The investigation is ongoing. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)

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A man in a wheelchair is taken away from the Route 91 Harvest country music festival after apparent gun fire was heard on October 1, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)

An injured person is tended to in the intersection of Tropicana Ave. and Las Vegas Boulevard after a mass shooting at a country music festival nearby on October 2, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. A gunman has opened fire on a music festival in Las Vegas, killing at least 58 people. Police have confirmed that one suspect has been shot dead. The investigation is ongoing. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

A sign hangs at the Route 91 Harvest Music Festival venue Monday, Oct. 2, 2017, in Las Vegas. A deadly shooting occurred Sunday at the music festival on the Las Vegas Strip. (AP Photo/Ronda Churchill)

People run for cover at the Route 91 Harvest country music festival after apparent gun fire was heard on October 1, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)

People take cover at the Route 91 Harvest country music festival after apparent gun fire was heard on October 1, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)

Police guard along the streets outside the the Route 91 Harvest country music festival grounds after a active shooter was reported on October 1, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)

A person takes cover at the Route 91 Harvest country music festival after apparent gun fire was heard on October 1, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)

A woman sits on a curb at the scene of a shooting outside of a music festival along the Las Vegas Strip, Monday, Oct. 2, 2017, in Las Vegas. Multiple victims were being transported to hospitals after a shooting late Sunday at a music festival on the Las Vegas Strip. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Medics treat the wounded as Las Vegas police respond during an active shooter situation on the Las Vegas Stirp in Las Vegas Sunday, Oct. 1, 2017. Multiple victims were being transported to hospitals after a shooting late Sunday at a music festival on the Las Vegas Strip. (Chase Stevens/Las Vegas Review-Journal via AP)

Las Vegas Metropolitan Police officers run down Tropicana Ave. near Las Vegas Boulevard after a mass shooting at a country music festival nearby on October 2, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. A gunman has opened fire on a music festival in Las Vegas, killing at least 58 people. Police have confirmed that one suspect has been shot dead. The investigation is ongoing. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

A wounded person is walked in on a wheelbarrow as Las Vegas police respond during an active shooter situation on the Las Vegas Stirp in Las Vegas Sunday, Oct. 1, 2017. Multiple victims were being transported to hospitals after a shooting late Sunday at a music festival on the Las Vegas Strip. (Chase Stevens/Las Vegas Review-Journal via AP)

People run from the Route 91 Harvest country music festival after apparent gun fire was heard on October 1, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)

People run from the New York New York during an active shooter situation on the Las Vegas Stirp in Las Vegas Sunday, Oct. 1, 2017. Multiple victims were being transported to hospitals after a shooting late Sunday at a music festival on the Las Vegas Strip. (Chase Stevens/Las Vegas Review-Journal via AP)

People hug and cry outside the Thomas & Mack Center after a mass shooting at the Route 91 Harvest country music festival on October 2, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. A gunman, identified as Stephen Paddock, 64, of Mesquite, Nevada, opened fire from the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino on the music festival, leaving at least 58 people dead and hundreds injured. Police have confirmed that one suspect has been shot. The investigation is ongoing. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

President Donald Trump makes a statement about the mass shooting in Las Vegas, Monday, Oct. 2, 2017 at the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

The U.S. flag flies at half-staff over the White House October 2, 2017 in Washington, DC. President Donald Trump ordered the flags on all federal buildings to fly at half-staff following the mass shooting that left at least 58 dead in Las Vegas. The gunman, identified as Stephen Paddock, 64, of Mesquite, Nevada, opened fire from the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino on an outdoor music festival. Police have confirmed that one suspect has been shot. The investigation is ongoing. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

People head to buses as they leave the Thomas & Mack Center after a mass shooting at a country music festival on October 2, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. People who could not go to hotel-casinos that were closed after the shooting temporarily stayed at the center. The gunman, identified as Stephen Paddock, 64, of Mesquite, Nevada, opened fire from the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino on the music festival, leaving at least 58 people dead and hundreds injured. Police have confirmed that one suspect has been shot. The investigation is ongoing. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Police form a perimeter around the road leading to the Mandalay Hotel (background) after a gunman killed at least 50 people and wounded more than 400 others when he opened fire on a country music concert in Las Vegas, Nevada on October 2, 2017. The gunman who opened fire on concertgoers from 32nd floor of a Las Vegas hotel was found dead, apparently of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, when a police SWAT team burst in, authorities said Monday.They said at least eight weapons, including a number of long rifles, were found in the room from where 64-year-old Stephen Paddock rained automatic fire into thousands of terrified people attending a country music concert across the street.”We believe the individual killed himself prior to our entry,” Las Vegas Sheriff Joseph Lombardo said. (MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images)

Police officers advise people to take cover near the scene of a shooting near the Mandalay Bay resort and casino on the Las Vegas Strip, Sunday, Oct. 1, 2017, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Concert attendees Nate Andor and Summer Neria, of Huntington Beach, Calif., near the scene where hours earlier a gunman rained a rapid-fire barrage over an outdoor concert from the nearby Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, in Las Vegas, Oct. 2, 2017. The gunman Ð identified as 64-year-old Stephen Paddock Ð killed at least 58 people, and wounded hundreds of others, officials said. Police believe Paddock killed himself, and that he was the sole gunman. (Isaac Brekken/The New York Times)

Police officers stop a man who drove down Tropicana Ave. near Las Vegas Boulevard and Tropicana Ave, which had been closed after a mass shooting at a country music festival that left at least 58 people dead nearby on October 2, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The man was released. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Police run to cover at the scene of a shooting near the Mandalay Bay resort and casino on the Las Vegas Strip, Sunday, Oct. 1, 2017, in Las Vegas. Multiple victims were being transported to hospitals after a shooting late Sunday at a music festival on the Las Vegas Strip. (AP Photo/John Locher)

People assist a wounded woman at the Tropicana during an active shooter situation on the Las Vegas Stirp in Las Vegas Sunday, Oct. 1, 2017. Multiple victims were being transported to hospitals after a shooting late Sunday at a music festival on the Las Vegas Strip. (Chase Stevens/Las Vegas Review-Journal via AP)

Drapes billow out of broken windows at the Mandalay Bay resort and casino Monday, Oct. 2, 2017, on the Las Vegas Strip following a deadly shooting at a music festival in Las Vegas. A gunman was found dead inside a hotel room. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Police vehicles block a street after sunrise Monday, Oct. 2, 2017, in Las Vegas. A mass shooting occurred late night Sunday at a music festival on the Las Vegas Strip. (AP Photo/Ronda Churchill)

People run from the Route 91 Harvest country music festival after apparent gun fire was hear on October 1, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. A gunman has opened fire on a music festival in Las Vegas, leaving at least 58 people dead and more than 500 injured. Police have confirmed that one suspect has been shot. The investigation is ongoing. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)

Levin said if there is no evidence of a conversion to Islam or any information regarding the attacker’s motive, he would treat anything with respect to motive at this early stage “with a high degree of caution,” though he noted it cannot be fully discounted at this early stage, either.

“Irrespective of motive, angry hate-filled people can now make even the most gentle of venues a war zone,” Levin said.

There are three types of people that do mass killings of a symbolic nature, Levin said.

First, there are those who are ideologically motivated — they try to be political, religious or a hybrid, he said.

Secondly, there are those who are psychologically dangerous, Levin said. They are either sociopaths — they know what they are doing is wrong and they are doing it anyway — or they are someone with some degree of cognitive impairment.

Thirdly, there are those who commit these killings for personal benefit, or to exact revenge, he said.

While details were still emerging Monday about the shooter, it was reported that he was a hunter, a gambler and — at least some years ago — a man of means, Levin said.

“We don’t know the motive, but I’d be curious to see: Was there some catalytic event in his life? Was there the onset of some mental illness, or was he radicalized in some way? We generally see these kinds of shooters in younger people, although the Holocaust Museum shooter was 88.”

That shooting, which killed a security guard, happened at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., on June 10, 2009. A federal grand jury indicted the shooter on charges of first-degree murder, committing a hate crime and gun violations but he died before he could be convicted.

Brenda Gazzar is a multilingual multimedia reporter who has worked for a variety of news outlets in California and in the Middle East since 2000. She has covered a range of issues, including breaking news, immigration, law and order, race, religion and gender issues, politics, human interest stories and education. Besides the Los Angeles Daily News and its sister papers, her work has been published by Reuters, the Denver Post, Ms. Magazine, the Jerusalem Post, USA Today, the Christian Science Monitor, the Los Angeles Jewish Journal, The Cairo Times and others. Brenda speaks Spanish, Hebrew and intermediate Arabic and is the recipient of national, state and regional awards, including a National Headliners Award and one from the Associated Press News Executives' Council. She holds a dual master's degree in Communications/Middle Eastern Studies from the University of Texas at Austin.